The seasons of a Siberian river
After the long and severe Siberian winter, when ice on the River Yenisei can be several meters thick, the spring weather can seem warm despite the cool air temperature - inspiring sunbathing amid the snow.
On the Yenisei, which stretches more than 3,000 km from Southern Siberia to the Arctic Ocean, the intrepid – some locals say foolhardy – sunbathe surrounded by snow and ice, or swim in freezing cold water.
Temperatures in winter reach minus 50 degrees Celsius or lower in the mid and northern regions of the river’s course, while in the summer Siberians can enjoy days of 20 degrees and more in the south.
Before: A woman enjoys the sun on the bank of the Yenisei River, with the air temperature at about 13 degrees Celsius.
After: Members of a local dancing group practise Float Board Yoga in the same location.
Before: Competitors in a harness race ride on the frozen Yenisei River in the 45th Ice Derby amateur horse race south of the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
After: A boy manoeuvers his single-handed sailing dinghy for children along the Yenisei River near the same location.
Before: Kite boarders and kite skiers compete in an annual amateur regional championship on the frozen Yenisei River outside the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
After: Yachtsmen take part in a sailing competition on the Yenisei River in the same location.
Before: Riders compete on the frozen Yenisei River in the 45th Ice Derby amateur horse race south of the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
After: A boy sails his single-handed dinghy for children along the Yenisei River in the identical location.
Before: Vladimir Korabelnikov, a member of a local winter-swimming club, warms up on the bank of the Yenisei River.
After: Two young men ride their BMX bicycles in the same location.
Before: Vladimir Shcherba, 53, takes a dip in the Yenisei River in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. The air temperature is minus 23 degrees Celsius.
After: A member of the Cryophil winter-swimming club enjoys the shallow water in the same location. The air temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius.
Before: Rescuer Yulia Borisova takes part in a rock-climbing evacuation training session on the Tsarskie Vorota (Tsar Gate) rock on the banks of the frozen Biryusa Bay of the Yenisei River near Krasnoyarsk, Siberia.
After: A man is seen through the Tsarskie Vorota (Tsar Gate) rock as he fishes from a sailboat in the same location.
